F1.VISA.USA
Getting a USA F1 Visa – My Complete Journey
A complete guide from GRE to Boarding the Flight
📚 Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Standardized Tests
- University Selection
- Application Documents
- Emailing Professors
- Getting Offers
- I-20 and Financial Documents
- Visa Process
- Visa Interview Preparation
- After Visa Approval
- Arriving in the USA
- Tips and Lessons Learned
- Acknowledgments
- Contact
🧭 Introduction
This blog aims to help future students by sharing every document and experience.
Research
Before everything, while you are doing your bachelor’s, try to do some research work. It will be very helpful. [for PhD and MS]
📊 Standardized Tests
GRE
- Though the GRE is not mandatory for most of the programs, it is always a plus to have. If you are going for an Engineering or related field, then the Quant section of the GRE will be very helpful. Try to keep the Quant score at least 160 if you are going to an engineering-related subject.
GRE Preparation
- The Official Guide to the GRE 3rd Edt
- Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions
- Official GRE Quantitative
- 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems - Manhattan Prep [For the Quant section, this book is all you need in my opinion]
- AWA (Issue Practice) [Official question]
- AWA (Argument Practice [Official question]
- Calculator [Practice this calculator because you will be given one like this in the exam]
- Vocab
- For practice, use this side https://gre.kmf.com/
TOEFL / IELTS
- You must have these tests ready for applying to the university [Exception is not an example]. You should try to keep a minimum TOEFL score of 90 or a minimum IELTS score of 6.5. There are some other English tests, but it is recommended to take TOEFL or IELTS.
TOEFL Preparation
- Academic discussion [Officail question from ETS]
- Toefl speaking [My speaking template]
- Toefl-ibt-free-practice-test [Official]
- Toefl-ibt-reading-practice-sets [Official]
-
Listening YouTube Playlist
✍️ Application Documents
Now it is time to make some documents ready to apply centrally, and also to email the professor.
Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- It should be within 2 pages
- 📄 View My SOP Example [For UAlbany, it was named as Statement of Background and Goals]
Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
- When you apply from any US university portal, it will ask for give email addresses of 1-4 people who will give you a LOR. After you add their email address, an email will be sent to them with a link where they will be uploading a LOR for you.
- Try to take LOR from the Professor with whom you have worked and have at least 1 collaborative paper work
- You can also take LOR from your office team lead or any other senior.
- 📄 LOR Example 1
- 📄 LOR Example 2
Resume/CV
- Format and key points for PhD application
- 📄 View My CV Example
Transcript
- Collect your transcript from the university
Other documnents
- Some universities might require other documents. For UAlbany, they required a Personal History.
- 📄 View My Personal History Example
Now that everything is ready, you should start the next two steps in parallel. First, select some universities and apply through their central application systems. Second, search for professors who are currently accepting students. You should email professors not only from the universities you’ve applied to but also from any other institutions where you find suitable research matches. If a professor shows interest in your profile and you haven’t yet applied to that university, you can then submit your application there.
🏫 University Selection
How I Shortlisted Universities
- This data helped me analyze which universities align best with my profile; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RpWaU1AQjgTd1jzBYhw8lk-NNORSPaFC-lWdaS8VvvU/edit?gid=720774269#gid=720774269
- If you look at the posts in this group, you’ll get an idea of the profiles of students who are getting admission; https://www.facebook.com/groups/nextop.usa
- I use the CS rank website to understand the quality of the university- https://csrankings.org/
- You might have a favorite state because a relative lives there, or you might choose a state based on its weather.
- Now, as you have all the information, you can select which university you want to apply to.
- After application, you can track this site to see if the university has started to publish admission results and what the accepted profiles are for that term - https://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/
Comparing CS vs CE Admission Difficulty
- Computer Science is usually harder to get into than Computer Engineering, even though both programs are rigorous and share many courses in the early years.
💌 Emailing Professors
You can find Professors who will take new students from this group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/nextop.usa You can also create your LinkedIn profile and be connected with many academic people, so academic posts will come to your timeline, and you will see posts where professor are looking for students. This will save a lot of your time. And there is always one option, you go to the university website and see all the faculty of your department, and from there find out professors’ information.
How to Write an Effective Email
- Read some of the professor’s papers from Google Scholar. You can use https://notebooklm.google/ to summarize and understand them easily. This tool really helped me grasp research papers and write emails with much less effort.
Sample Emails I Sent
Tips
- If you have a professional or paid email address that includes your real name, use that. For example, I used my work email when I was employed as a software engineer.
- Keep your email short and to the point — professors usually don’t have much time to read long messages.
- Show genuine interest in their research and explain why you’re reaching out.
- Keep all attached document names consistent, such as DocumentName_MahediKamal.
- Email at morning time of the professor.
🎓 Getting Offers
RA / TA / Fellowship Funding
- If you get an admission letter but didn’t get funding, then reach out to the department and professors.
- My experience getting RA: I applied centrally and received an admission offer for Fall 2025, but didn’t get any funding then. So, I deferred my admission to Fall 2026. Later, I emailed a professor from that university, and he expressed interest in having me join in Spring 2026. As a result, I changed my admission term again and received a Research Assistantship (RA) offer from that professor.
- If you have received an offer from a professor via email but don’t yet have an admission offer from that university, you should apply quickly. The professor can then support your application and help you secure funding.
💰 I-20 and Financial Documents
- After you have managed your Admission and funding, now it is time to get your I-20
- For my case, I have to email the Director of Recruitment & Marketing to get the I-20
Common I-20 Issues and Fixes
- If you are fully funded but your I-20 shows a small deficit (e.g., $1–2k), that’s usually okay. You can simply show a bank statement covering that amount.
- If your funding letter only covers one term but mentions that it will be renewed for the next term, that’s also acceptable. Again, just show the deficit amount with a bank statement.
- However, if you are not fully funded (e.g., only 80% funding), you will need a very strong bank statement. Otherwise, there is a high risk of visa denial if you are form a country where there is a low visa acceptance rate.
🧾 Visa Process
- You can start this process after you get your I-20
Filling DS-160 Form
- Don’t make any mistakes, it’s very important. link of DS-160 https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/Default.aspx
- Get your photo like this- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/photos.html
- You must fill out this form before you schedule your visa appointment.
SEVIS Fee Payment
- After you get the I-20
- You can do this later, after securing your visa date.
- You must make this payment at least 3 days before your visa interview date. This is the link for SEVIS payment- https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/index.htm
- If you try to use your Bangladeshi card, then there is a limitation on the maximum transaction amount. For my City Bank Visa card, it was 290 USD. So I have to make a request to increase my transaction amount through this page- https://positivepay.thecitybank.com/cards/
Scheduling VAC and Embassy Appointments
- You must complete the DS-160 before this
- Go to this site to schedule your visa interview date: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/bd/en/
- You have to make a payment and get an initial visa interview date.
- Now you can reschedule the date if you want. If you frequently visit the website to reschedule your visa date, you may get temporarily blocked. To avoid this, you should use this group to reschedule your visa appointment: https://t.me/+NEcX-i-m1_9jMTU1
- I got a visa date within 3 weeks using this group.
- In Bangladesh, biometric and visa interview happens on the same day in the same place. This is the location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2S3Pujz2b8h2iWVB7?g_st=ipc
- They will take your passport if your visa is initially approved. You have to collect your passport after you get an email. This is the passport collection location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nExhLqQrgCkjDcKp9?g_st=ipc
Required Visa Documents
- I-20
- Passport
- NID
- Admission Letter
- Funding Offer
- VISA Appointment Confirmation
- DS160 CONFIRMATION
- Bank Statement
- Solvecy Certificate
- CV
- Email to Professor that got me the RA
- I901 Payment Confirmation
- Previous Visa History (if any)
- Other University admission letter
- Social Media Link Pdf (As there was a social media verification going on, I wrote all the links on a doc, and gave it to the visa officer)
- SOP
- TOEFL
- GRE
- Office ID
- Salary Certificate
During my Visa interview, only my I-20 and Passport were checked, but it is better to keep all the documents with you
💬 Visa Interview Preparation
My Visa Interview Experience
- Me: Afternoon, officer.
- VO: You look like 15 (laugh)
- Me: No, I am 25 (laugh)
- VO: What is your university name?
- Me: answered
- VO: What is your research topic?
- Me: answered
- VO: How many papers do you have?
- answered
- VO: Where are those published?
- answered
- VO: Who will bear te cost?
- answered
- VO: Congratulations, I am approving your visa. But this will go under social media screening.
- Me: replied
Common Questions & My Answers
Mock Interview Practice
- You can try this group: https://t.me/+YRGbT9FYy5swMTE1
✈️ After Visa Approval
Buying Air Ticket
- I installed Skyscanner app
-
From the app, you can see a view like this after clicking the date section, which helps you see on which date the ticket price is low on average
- Many airlines provide special offers for students. Check how to avail a discount as an international student.
- Turkish Airlines offer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxHJBQIE50k
- Emirates Airlines offer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW1rw2tSszw
- Check what the baggage limit is for all the flights. eg, if your first flight allows 2 bags and 2nd flight allows 1 bag only, then it will be a problem. So, check before you buy a ticket.
- Some airlines provide extra facilities if you have a long transit. eg, Free Istanbul by Turkish Airlines, Dubai Connect by Emirates.
Booking First Accommodation
- On-campus vs off-campus [Coming Soon …]
Pre-Departure Checklist
- Send your official documents [Transcript, Mark Sheet, Provisional Certificate, and Main Certificate, etc.]
- If you haven’t sent offcial GRE, TOEFL, then send it
- Check vaccine requirements for your university and get vaccinated. Don’t forget to get the vaccination certificate [common vaccines: MMR, TDaP, Varivax, flu, Tb, Tetanus, etc.]. You can take some most common vaccines from here - https://www.icddrb.org/vaccination
- Take some $ with you.
- Make Shopping checklist [my Shopping list]
🛬 Arriving in the USA [Coming Soon …]
Immigration at Port of Entry
- My experience and tips [Coming Soon …]
First Week in the USA
- Orientation, SSN, bank account, etc. [Coming Soon …]
💡 Tips and Lessons Learned
- When applying to a university, create a separate folder with the university name and all documents and information related to it.
- Don’t type while filling out any form. First, make a document with all your information, and then copy information from that document when filling out any form. This will reduce the probability of mistakes drastically.
🙏 Acknowledgments
Thanks, everyone, for your help and encouragement
📧 Contact
If you have questions, feel free to reach out:
[mahedikamal44@gmail.com]
“And Allah is the best of planners : وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ” – Surah Aal Imran